So, before you keep reading, take a moment to make sure your turkey is thawed or will be by tomorrow. Not making it? Call or text whoever is and remind them.

Now, with that important task complete (weíre trusting it has been), letís get down to business. Preparing Thanksgiving dinner can be a daunting undertaking, with lots to do and plenty that can go wrong. And even after everyone has a full belly, thereís always the question of what to do with all that food they didnít eat.

Hereís what they had to say. Responses edited for brevity and clarity.

Whatís the absolute best tip or piece of last minute advice you have for cooks preparing Thanksgiving dinner?

Cathy: Itís all about organization, not only planning what youíre having but what youíre going to serve it in. As long as itís written down and youíre checking it off, it should be smooth sailing. The crock pot is your best friend. It gives you an extra cooking source Ė you can cook something else in it instead of having it on the stovetop.

Heidi: Do as much in advance as possible Ė make the stuffing in advance, the sweet potato casserole, assemble the green bean casserole in advance, the squash, lima beans, any desserts, any Jell-O salad if people still do that. I still do. Itís all about the timing. And bring everything to room temperature before you put it in the oven or something isnít going to be cooked all the way.

J. Scott: If youíre going to fry a turkey, make sure itís thawed and dry. Any ice or water hitting that hot oil will cause those explosions they love to show on the news every Thanksgiving. If youíre deep frying, consider a turkey breast instead of a whole turkey. You want something with a uniform shape and a whole turkey isnít uniform. A turkey breast has a nice torpedo shape and fries up beautifully.

Whatís your Thanksgiving horror story?

Cathy: So far Iíve been pretty lucky. Last year I burned the sweet potato casserole. I put the marshmallows on it early and the whole top Ė the marshmallows Ė caught on fire. It was just that layer of marshmallows that caught on fire. I scrapped it off, tried to get as much of the burnt stuff off and put more marshmallows on it. I do always forget to put out the cranberry sauce. Iíve forgotten the cranberry sauce three years in a row.

Page 2 of 2 - Heidi: My biggest disaster so far is not making sure the turkey was thawed. When I went to put it in the oven it, I put my hand in to pull out the giblets and they were solid as a rock. I filled the sink with water and put it in there for a couple of hours. Dinner was two hours late. It really throws you behind.

J. Scott: That would be log cabin maple syrup pecan pie, where I learned that just because itís printed on the back of commercial packaging doesnít mean it was ever tested. I made this pecan pie exactly according to the directions printed on the box and ended up with a pie shell of vaguely flavored pecan soup. Never, ever try a new recipe on Thanksgiving. Murphyís Law loves people who try new recipes on Thanksgiving.

Whatís your favorite thing to do with Thanksgiving leftovers?

Cathy: Weíve already had our Thanksgiving Ė my son recently flew in from L.A. so it worked out real well Ė so Iím making turkey bone gumbo out of a magazine I found. Itíll have leftover turkey meat, andouille sausage, onions, Iíll probably put some frozen okra in there and serve it over rice. (Read Cathyís column to get the recipe.)

Heidi: We just have Thanksgiving dinner all over again. We put everything out again and everyone fills up their plates. We donít make anything with it, especially not turkey tetrazzini. There are obviously turkey sandwiches, with turkey, stuffing, cranberries and mayonnaise on white bread, with a little dash of lemon pepper on the turkey. It has to be white bread. Or potato rolls. Theyíre great for turkey sandwiches.

J. Scott: That would be king ranch turkey, a version of king ranch chicken, which is an old recipe everyone claims came from Texas. You just sub in the turkey for the chicken and itís fantastic. Itís got leftover turkey, salsa, cheese, crunched up tortilla chips. Itís incredibly fattening and itís delicious. (Recipe is below.)

KING RANCH TURKEY

4 cups leftover turkey, cut in small pieces

1 14.5-ounce bag yellow corn tortilla chips

1 can cream of mushroom soup

2 cups chicken broth

1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes with green chiles

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 Ĺ tsp. chile powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the chicken soup, mushroom soup, broth and tomatoes with chiles. Set aside. Lightly grease a shallow 3-quart casserole dish. Layer half the tortillas, half the turkey, half the onion, half the bell pepper and half the cheese in the casserole dish. Pour half of the soup mixture over the layers. Repeat the layers of tortillas, turkey, onion and bell pepper; pour the remaining soup mixture over the top, then top with the remaining cheese. Sprinkle with chili powder and garlic powder and bake for 30 to 45 minutes.